Dennis Rodman has one of the most unique stories in modern sports history. Many people think of NBA players as uber-professional athletes who do their best to avoid vices such as alcohol, partying, and at times, women. Rodman didn’t fit into that mold. 

Rodman never seemed too interested in fitting into any mold. He forged his own path to NBA greatness. That path included controversy, grit, toughness, extravagance, hardship, and much winning. Dennis Rodman always loved his freedom. He thrived when he was allowed to be himself. 

When Rodman entered the NBA, few could have predicted that he would become an integral part of a dominant championship dynasty. Rodman also loved to prove his doubters wrong. He did that quite a bit. 

The Early Years of Dennis Rodman

His story begins humbly in Trenton, New Jersey, where he was born to Philander Rodman, Jr. and Shirley Rodman in 1961. He experienced his first taste of adversity when his father left him and the rest of his family. Rodman’s father would later settle in the Philippines and serve in the Vietnam War.

Rodman’s mother Shirley did what she had to do to support her family after Rodman’s father left. She worked many odd jobs, sometimes working as many as four jobs at the same time. Despite being born in New Jersey, Rodman grew up in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas. At the time, Oak Cliff was one of the city’s most impoverished areas. 

Basketball permeated the younger generation of Rodman’s family, not just Dennis. His sisters, Debra and Kim, would later become All-American basketball players in college. Debra did so at Louisiana Tech and Kim did so at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Rodman attended South Oak Cliff High School and did his utmost to make the school’s basketball team. However, due to his height (five feet, six inches tall as a high school freshman) and as yet unpolished skills, the team either benched or cut him. After this setback, Dennis Rodman attempted to make the school’s football teams but to no avail. 

According to an interview with Rodman’s mother Shirley in a May 2nd, 1988 Sports Illustrated article written by Bruce Newman, Rodman was ‘totally devastated’ by his lack of athletic success in high school. Still, he made a habit of overcoming adversity throughout his life. This was another chance to do just that.

Dennis Rodman Works as an Overnight Janitor

Most American-born future NBA stars spend their years after high school playing college basketball. Some, like NBA legends Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, declared for the NBA Draft immediately after high school when doing so was allowed. Rodman did neither.

His path to NBA greatness was unconventional, much like the man himself. After graduating from high school, Rodman worked at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport as an overnight janitor. An unexpected growth spurt saw Rodman grow to six feet, seven inches tall. This growth spurt reignited Rodman’s basketball hopes.

Dennis Rodman Plays College Basketball

A friend of the Rodmans reached out to Cooke County College’s head coach. The Gainesville, TX school, now called North Central Texas College, gave Dennis Rodman his first college basketball opportunity. Rodman played well in his one semester at the school, averaging 17.6 points in addition to 13.3 rebounds. However, his poor academic performance caused him to flunk out of the school. 

Rodman remained undeterred and transferred to an NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) school called Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Rodman played there for three seasons from 1983-86, averaging 25.7 points and 15.7 rebounds. He scored efficiently as well, with a .637 field goal percentage during his time at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. 

Rodman reinforced his college credentials by leading the NAIA in rebounds in 1985 and 1986 and being named an All-American by the NAIA three times. In his final college season, Rodman experienced further success, as he led his team to the 1986 NAIA semifinals. 

His best individual college basketball performance came in the 1986 NAIA semifinals. The Dallas native scored 46 points and grabbed 32 rebounds in a single game. Southeastern Oklahoma State University finished the 1986 NAIA season with their highest-ever ranking, being ranked #3 in the nation. 

His excellent play at Southeastern Oklahoma State University earned Dennis Rodman an invitation to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is a pre-draft camp for players hoping to make it to the NBA. 

Rodman seized the opportunity and won MVP at the tournament. This attracted the interest of the Detroit Pistons.

The man who hadn’t been allowed to play basketball in high school was now one step away from the NBA.

Dennis Rodman Enters the NBA

After Dennis Rodman bet on himself and became eligible for the 1986 NBA Draft, few expected Rodman to go undrafted. He had proven that he was, at the very least, an NBA-ready prospect. The Detroit Pistons drafted Rodman with the 27th overall pick. This surprised almost no one, given the Pistons’ established interest in the Dallas native. 

In the 1985-86 season, the Pistons had finished with a respectable 46-36 regular season record. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the surging Atlanta Hawks led by star small forward Dominique Wilkins. 

The Pistons’ star point guard and later Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas didn’t consider the previous season good enough. Thankfully for him, the Pistons’ front office agreed. Drafting Dennis Rodman was one step toward transforming the Pistons into championship contenders.

Rodman was a good fit with the Pistons. In his rookie season, Rodman played 15 minutes per game, averaging 6.5 points as well as 4.7 rebounds. Naturally, he provided tough defense in those minutes, too. The Pistons improved immediately in the 1986-87 season, winning 52 games. 

This time, though, Rodman and the rest of the Pistons would find success in the playoffs. 

Dennis Rodman Experiences NBA Playoff Success for the First Time

The Pistons fared much better in the 1987 NBA playoffs than they did in the previous season’s playoffs. The Pistons swept the Washington Bullets and eliminated the Atlanta Hawks convincingly in five games. However, they faced their archrivals, the Boston Celtics, in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. 

That series has been described as one of the most mentally and physically taxing playoff series in NBA history. Rodman, never one to shy away from conflict, had a bitter feud with Dennis Johnson, a Celtics guard. Rodman taunted Johnson in the final seconds of Game 7, waving his right hand above his head. 

The Celtics won Game 7 and the series. Johnson mimicked Rodman’s earlier taunt to mock the Pistons forward. That was only the beginning of more controversy surrounding Rodman and his views on the 1987 Celtics.

Rodman accused Larry Bird of being overrated due to Bird being a white man. Rodman went further, stating that Bird’s race was the main reason for the enormous amount of publicity the Celtics superstar received. Those infamous statements were received poorly, to no one’s surprise.

Rodman received harsh criticism for his claims about Bird, understandably so. Rodman’s teammate Isiah Thomas gave him his support, but virtually no one else did. That was one of the biggest controversies of Rodman’s NBA career. 

However, Rodman was rarely far from controversy. It was as much a part of Rodman’s NBA career as tough defense, relentless rebounding, and exceptional success. 

An Improved Second NBA Season

Rodman’s stats consistently improved over the course of his second NBA season. He  averaged 11.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in the 1987-88 season. His role on the Pistons also increased, as shown by him starting 32 games in the regular season. 

The Pistons performed even better in the 1987-88 season. They made it all the way to the 1988 NBA Finals. The Pistons took a 3-2 series lead but eventually lost the series to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. 

This series loss must have weighed heavily on Rodman, since he came close to both an offensive rebound as well as a putback in the closing seconds of Game 6 of the 1988 Finals. The Pistons were down one, so Rodman could have won them the title with an offensive rebound and a putback in that game. 

In Game 7, the Pistons made a stunning comeback to cut the Lakers’ 15-point fourth-quarter lead to two points with one minute remaining. Rodman committed a foul against Magic Johnson. Johnson converted a free throw. Rodman then took a bad shot with 39 seconds remaining in the game and missed. The Pistons couldn’t recover from this sequence of events.

Once again, Rodman would have to watch the opposing team celebrate winning the championship. Still, the Pistons were now legitimate championship contenders. No one could deny that.

They were determined to win it all in the 1988-89 NBA season. 

Dennis Rodman Welcomes His First Child and Wins His First NBA Championship

In his personal life, Dennis Rodman had his first child, a daughter named Alexis, with his then-girlfriend Anicka ‘Annie’ Bakes in 1988. Now a new father, Rodman averaged nine points and nine-point-four rebounds per game while coming off the bench and playing 27 minutes a game. Despite coming off the bench, Rodman’s defense was so good that voters selected him for the All-Defensive First Team. Rodman also won his first Defensive Player of the Year Award. 

He would go on to make the All-Defensive First Team seven more times during his NBA career. The Pistons traded Adrian Dantley to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Mark Aguirre during the 1988-89 season, giving Rodman more minutes.

The Pistons swept their archrival, the Celtics, in the first round before sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. After that, the Pistons faced the Chicago Bulls in the 1989 Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls had a young Michael Jordan, who had just won his second scoring title by averaging 32.5 points per game. 

However, the Pistons were the superior team overall and beat the Bulls in six games. This set up an NBA Finals rematch with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Pistons swept the Lakers in the 1989 NBA Finals, beating them 105-97 in Game 4 to win their franchise’s first NBA championship. Rodman played well despite experiencing back spasms, grabbing rebounds and providing his usual excellent interior defense. His best game was Game 3, where he grabbed 19 rebounds. 

Dennis Rodman was now an NBA champion. 

Rodman Wins Another Title with Detroit–But It’s Downhill from There

Dennis Rodman won another championship with the Detroit Pistons in the 1989-1990 season. Individually, Rodman started in the majority of the Pistons’ regular season games, averaging 8.2 points and 12.5 rebounds. 

The Pistons beat the Trailblazers in five games to repeat as NBA champions. Rodman struggled with an injured ankle in the Finals but Mark Aguirre did a good job in Rodman’s place.

However, the Pistons started to regress following their second consecutive championship. Rodman continued his excellent overall play in the 1990-91 season and won the Defensive Player of the Year award again. The Pistons faced the Bulls in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, having eliminated them twice in consecutive playoff matchups. 

The Bulls Take Over the Eastern Conference

The 1991 Eastern Conference Finals were a different story. Michael Jordan had won his second MVP award and had All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, along with a solid supporting cast including Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, John Paxson, and BJ Armstrong. The 1991 Bulls are considered one of the best NBA teams of all time. 

The Bulls swept the Pistons in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, with Jordan averaging 29.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7 assists. The Bulls were now the best team in the Eastern Conference and they went on to win the 1991 NBA championship. Jordan averaged 31.2 points, 11.4 assists, and 6.4 rebounds and won the 1991 Finals MVP award.

Rodman Receives His First All-NBA First Team Selection

Rodman took his rebounding to a new level in the 1991-92 season, averaging an incredible 18.7 rebounds per game along with 9.8 points per game. His outstanding rebounding helped him make the All-NBA First team for the first time. No NBA player after Rodman has surpassed Rodman’s 1,530 rebounds in the 1991-92 season to this day. Only Wilt Chamberlain ever grabbed more rebounds in an NBA season, grabbing 1,572 rebounds in the 1971-72 season.

Rodman even grabbed 34 rebounds in a game against the Indiana Pacers in March 1992. However, Rodman wouldn’t experience much team success that season, with the New York Knicks eliminating the aging Pistons in the 1992 playoffs’ first round. 

Chuck Daly resigned in May 1992, which was a difficult turn of events for Rodman. Rodman viewed Daly as his surrogate father and admired him. Consequently, Rodman skipped the Pistons’ preseason camp and received a $68,000 fine for doing so. Rodman also divorced Annie Bakes and struggled with that divorce after their short marriage.

In the 1992-93 season, the Pistons performed as poorly as one might expect given their roster’s age and the tumultuous situation surrounding their All-NBA forward Rodman. They went 40-42 and missed the 1993 NBA playoffs altogether. The Pistons watched as the Bulls completed a championship three-peat by defeating the Phoenix Suns in six games in the 1993 NBA Finals.

Rodman Experiences Personal Struggles

Dennis Rodman went through personal struggles during this time, as well. Rodman details these struggles in his autobiography titled Bad As I Wanna Be, recalling that he was contemplating ending his life in February 1993. His loaded rifle was in his truck, which Rodman had driven to The Palace of Auburn Hills. Rodman fell asleep in his truck and police thankfully found Rodman after a friend of his had asked the police to check on Rodman’s welfare. 

Rodman experienced an epiphany in that moment and decided to instead ‘kill’ the impostor version of himself that he felt was taking him somewhere he didn’t want to go. According to a Mark Marvel interview with Rodman in February 1997, Rodman said “I was gonna kill the impostor that was leading Dennis Rodman to a place he didn’t want to go…” From now on, the Pistons’ forward was committed to living life the way he wanted to live it and to be happy while doing so.

However, he decided that the Pistons wouldn’t be part of his future. Rodman had $11.8 million and three years remaining on his contract with the Detroit Pistons. Still, he demanded that the Pistons trade him. They obliged his trade demand on October 1, 1993 and traded him to the San Antonio Spurs.

Two Contentious Years in San Antonio

Many hardly recall that Dennis Rodman ever played for the San Antonio Spurs, but his two years with the Spurs were certainly eventful. Rodman’s 1993-94 season with the Spurs naturally included some controversy. He averaged 17.3 rebounds, won another rebounding title (his third consecutive rebounding title), and earned another All-Defensive Team selection. 

Rodman naturally got into some controversy, dying his hair various colors and headbutting both John Stockon and Stacey King. He also refused to leave the floor after being ejected in a regular season game and had an affair with Madonna that earned quite a bit of publicity. The Spurs won 55 games in the 1993-94 regular season, but the Utah Jazz swept them in four games in the first round of the playoffs.

Rodman’s Second Year in San Antonio

Rodman averaged 16.8 rebounds and made the All-NBA Third Team in the 1994-95 season, grabbing 823 rebounds in total. However, Rodman missed 19 regular season games after two suspensions by the Spurs and a self-imposed leave of absence. Additionally, Rodman got into a motorcycle accident and had a separated shoulder due to the accident. He only played 49 regular season games as a result and only narrowly qualified to win the rebounding title that season by exceeding the 800-rebound limit.

The Spurs had the best record in the NBA at 62-20 in the 1994-95 regular season and advanced to the Western Conference Finals after defeating the Lakers in the second round. They faced their divisional rivals, the Houston Rockets, in the Western Conference Finals. Rodman and Robinson were fellow All-Defensive Team members, but Rockets superstar center Hakeem Olajuwon hardly seemed to notice. 

Olajuwon averaged 35.3 points per game in the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs. The Rockets eliminated the Spurs in six games. Rodman harshly criticized the Spurs, calling Spurs head coach Bob Hill  “a loser” and claimed that the Spurs should have won the series. 

After a public and harsh tirade against the Spurs, Bob Hill, and the organization in general, the Spurs decided to move on from Dennis Rodman. The Spurs traded Rodman to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Will Perdue. The Bulls had finally made a move to fill the power forward void created by Horace Grant joining the Orlando Magic in the 1994 offseason. 

It was another fresh start for Rodman. 

Thriving with the Bulls

Rodman adapted quickly to his new team, averaging 5.5 points in addition to 14.9 rebounds per game. Additionally, the Dallas native secured one more rebounding title and helped the Bulls win a then-record best 72 regular season games. This record would stand until the Golden State Warriors broke it in the 2015-16 season with a 73-9 regular season record.

Rodman made some personal history in the regular season, getting his first-ever triple double with 10 points, 10 assists, and 21 rebounds in a January 16, 1996 game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Controversy continued to follow Rodman in Chicago. He headbutted referee Ted Bernhardt on March 16, 1996 during a Bulls-Nets game. The NBA fined Rodman $20,000 and suspended him for six games. 

Rodman Wins His Third NBA Championship

His first playoff run with the Bulls saw Rodman average 7.5 points in addition to 13.7 rebounds per game. He was essential in the Bulls defeating the Seattle Supersonics in six games in the 1996 NBA Finals. He secured 20 rebounds in Game 2 in Chicago and 19 rebounds, including 11 offensive rebounds, in Game 6 in Chicago. 

Rodman also contributed five points of the Bulls’ crucial 12-2 run in Game 6 and unsettled Sonics power forward Shawn Kemp. The Bulls won Game 6 87-75 to secure their fourth NBA championship. Rodman was now a three-time NBA champion. 

That wasn’t the only reason Rodman received publicity in 1996. Rodman also promoted Bad As I Wanna Be, his autobiography, by wearing a dress. He claimed to be bisexual and to be marrying himself. Controversy and success went hand-in-hand during Rodman’s career.

He secured another rebounding title, his sixth in a row, by averaging 16.7 rebounds per game in addition to scoring 5.7 points per game in the 1996-97 season. He got involved in another incident when he kicked cameraman Eugene Amos in the groin during a January 1997 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rodman received an 11-game suspension and paid a $200,000 settlement to Amos. 

A Fourth NBA Title for Rodman

Suspensions, early-game technical fouls, and knee issues diminished Rodman’s effectiveness in the 1997 playoffs. He had trouble slowing down Jazz star forward Karl Malone. Still, Rodman did his part to help the Bulls win the 1997 NBA championship by defeating the Jazz in six games. 

Rodman won his seventh rebounding title in a row in the following season by averaging 15 rebounds per game, but his scoring dipped to 4.7 points per game. He slowed down Malone far more effectively in the first three games of the 1998 Finals. 

However, he caused yet more controversy by leaving the Bulls and wrestling with Hulk Hogan prior to Game 4 of the 1998 Finals. 

Even so, Rodman played excellent defense against Malone in Game 4. Malone caught fire and scored 39 points in the Jazz’s Game 5 victory to make the 1998 Finals a 3-2 series in favor of the Bulls. 

A Fifth NBA Championship for Dennis Rodman

Rodman had seven points and eight rebounds in Game 6. The Bulls won Game 6 and the 1998 NBA championship courtesy of an iconic Michael Jordan game-winner against Bryon Russell. The Bulls completed their second three-peat and Rodman was now a five-time NBA champion. 

However, the 1998 Finals marked the end of the Bulls’ dynasty and the end of Rodman’s time with the team. The Bulls released Rodman on January 21, 1998, prior to the beginning of the 1998-99 NBA season. That lockout-shortened season would see Rodman join the Los Angeles Lakers, with his sister now working as his agent. 

Now in his late 30s, Rodman had another chance to make a fresh start as his NBA career started to wind down. 

Spending His Last Two NBA Seasons Away from the Spotlight

Rodman played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1998-99 season, accepting a prorated salary to do so. He played 23 games for the Lakers, starting only 11 games that season. His averages dipped to two points and 11 rebounds a game during his one season with the Lakers. The Lakers released Rodman in the 1999 offseason. 

After being released by the Lakers, Rodman joined his hometown team, the Dallas Mavericks. He was 38 years old at the time. Rodman averaged 14.3 rebounds per game in 12 games with the Mavericks, but the Mavericks had a 4-9 record with him on the team. 

Additionally, Rodman was suspended for one game, ejected twice, and was assessed six technical fouls during his time with the Mavericks. The Mavericks grew frustrated with his erratic behavior and seeming lack of leadership. In an interview with the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in 2000, Dallas superstar guard Steve Nash said “I don’t think he wanted to be here” when speaking about Rodman’s time with the Mavericks. 

Unsurprisingly, the Mavericks released him after his 12-game stint with the team. 

Rodman’s NBA career was over, but his story was far from complete. 

Winning An ABA Title & Playing Abroad

Dennis Rodman took an extended break from basketball. He focused on wrestling and on his film career instead. He did not return to basketball until 2003 when he joined the American Basketball League and played for the Long Beach Jam. Rodman did so hoping that he would be able to return to the NBA during the 2003-04 NBA season. 

That didn’t happen. However, Rodman did play a part in the Jam winning the ABA championship during the team’s first-ever season. In 2004, Rodman played with Mexican basketball team Fuerza Regia before returning to the ABA with the Orange County Crush. 

After that, Rodman joined the Tijuana Dragons, another ABA team, for the 2005-06 season. Rodman also played a single game for Torpan Pojat in November 2005, a Finnish basketball team that competes in the Korisliiga, the top level of professional basketball in Finland. 

Rodman’s overseas basketball journey then took him to the UK. Rodman played three games for the Brighton Bears, a team in the British Basketball League. His three games with the Bears were his final official professional games, although he did play some exhibition games in 2006. 

A Complicated Personal Life

As one might expect, Dennis Rodman has led a complicated personal life. His first marriage to Annie Bakes ended in divorce after only 82 days following abuse accusations and multiple instances of infidelity. Rodman married Carmen Electra, a model, in November 1998 but she filed for divorce five months later in April 1999. 

Rodman married his third wife, Michelle Moyer, in 2003. The two married on Rodman’s 42nd birthday: May 13, 2003. Rodman had a son named Dennis Junior, commonly known as ‘DJ’, and a daughter named Trinity with Moyer.

Rodman’s marriage to Moyer ended in 2012. His son, DJ, plays college basketball for USC after transferring there from Washington State in 2023. Trinity, Rodman’s daughter, plays professional soccer in the NWSL with the Washington Spirit and is part of the US women’s national soccer team. 

Rodman reconciled with his father, Philander, in 2012 after years of estrangement between the two. Philander passed away at age 79 in the Philippines due to prostate cancer on July 14, 2020. 

Rodman has also struggled with alcoholism, checking into rehab multiple times over the years. This has often coincided with Rodman’s legal troubles, ranging from DUI charges, public drunkenness, and domestic violence charges to lying to police, being responsible for a hit-and-run accident, and driving without a valid driver’s license. 

Political Involvement

Rodman’s politics are another source of controversy. Rodman endorsed Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2015 and endorsed Kanye West’s presidential campaign in 2020. However, perhaps the most significant source of Rodman’s post-NBA controversy has been his odd relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. 

Rodman has visited North Korea multiple times, most recently in 2018. Some have even speculated that Rodman is secretly working as an intelligence officer for the CIA in North Korea. This seems unlikely. 

The story of Dennis Rodman is a story of resilience, controversy, success, and struggle. Rodman is an example of a unique athlete and person who made a decision to be unapologetically true to himself on one fateful night in February 1993 and stuck to that decision. 

One could take many lessons from the story of Rodman’s life. One lesson is to be true to yourself, no matter what. Your true friends will stand by you and encourage you to be your authentic self. 

Dennis Rodman thrived when he was allowed to be himself. Don’t we all?